The LG Optimus Vu, which launched on Verizon as the LG Intuition with Verizon earlier this month, was undoubtedly a strange device. Taking a page from Samsung's – ahem – note book, LG created the Vu for the phablet market, but decided to go with a somewhat awkward 4:3 aspect ratio, adding to the device's laundry list of quirks.

Well, the Korean manufacturer has just officially announced the Vu's successor – the Optimus Vu II.

Motorola has just revealed its first smartphone powered by an Intel mobile processor, the RAZR i, at an event in London this morning. Although the exterior of the new device shares a lot of similarities with the previously released RAZR M, such as a 4.3-inch display and Kevlar coating on the back, it couldn't be more different inside, packing an Intel CPU clocked at 2GHz.

Motorola claims that the processor is "40% more efficient" than the competition, comparing the RAZR i to the iPhone 4S, so it will be interesting to see how much usage can be squeezed out of the phone's 2,000mAh battery.

HTC has virtually every corner of the Android phone market covered, with unlocked phones ranging from under $300 all the way up to $700. Whether you're looking for a smartphone on a budget, or you just want as much power as you can have in one hand, you'll generally be covered.

Today, HTC has announced the Explorer, which sits firmly on the budget end of the smartphone spectrum. You won't find many bells and whistles on this phone, which will have a 3.2-inch display with a resolution of just 480 x 320, and a 3MP camera around the back.

After an agonizing wait, we now know Verizon's plans for the Tab, right from the source itself. The tablet will be available three weeks from now, on the 11th of November, and the full retail price is to be $599.99 - although VZW has not disclosed any on-contract price. An optional $20/mo 1 GB tariff is alluded to but it is unclear whether or not this will bring with it a discount to the Tab's sticker price.

Today, Sony Ericsson officially announced the Xperia X8, formerly known as ‘Shakira’, which will offer a middle ground between the Xperia X10 and X10 Mini.

Running Android 1.6, the software used on the X8 makes the most of the limited screen estate on offer. Utilizing Sony Ericsson’s signature application used in the other Xperia devices, the X8 allows the user to stay connected with social networks using the Timescape application.

If you aren’t already familiar with Timescape, all information about one contact is kept in the same place, so the user can easily access their contact’s Facebook posts and Tweets, or simply find an email address or phone number.